The present disclosure relates generally to the field of head/helmet mounted display systems (HMDS) that include a vision component or imaging sensor. HMDSs worn by soldiers in military include a sensor with a display that allows the user to view an image from the sensor.
Conventional HMDSs use analog components, such as analog sensor systems, that are bulky, obscure the user's normal vision, and provide limited ability to perform image processing. The limitations associated with the analog components degrade the ability to use the HMDS in certain operational scenarios and can be dangerous to the user because the user's situational awareness is decreased. The HMDS must be flipped up out of the way when the user does not need the sensor and wants to improve situational awareness, requiring the user to remove his/her hands from equipment that he/she may be using. There is a need for a lightweight, smaller volume HMDS that does not interfere with the operator's vision of the outside world and provides sensor image capability.